Senate Bill #121, better known as “Parental Notification,” was recently taken up by our Legislature. It seems funny to me that we need our Legislature to decide whether or not a parent (or legal guardian) should have the “right” to know that his or her daughter is about to undergo a major medical procedure. Why is it that when we have to sign-off our school nurse’s permission to distribute an asprin, or sign a permission slip for the teacher to take our kids to the play ground a block down from the school, that we are not afforded the same “right” when our child goes under a knife at an abortion clinic?

At the committee hearing, folks speaking against the bill (meaning they do not want parents involved in their children’s lives) included: NARAL, Planned Parenthood, Religious Coalition for Reproductive Rights, New Mexico Women’s Agenda, Pegsus Legal Services for Children, Southwest Women’s Law Center. A very interesting cast of characters! By way of comparison, those speaking in favor of parental rights were: Right to Life New Mexico, New Mexico Conference of Catholic Bishops, Jose Vasquez of The New Mexico Watchman and a Los Alamos Youth Minister. My compliments to the Senate Public Affairs Committee for tabling this devisive bill. If this bill is brought up again, may the committee members cast their votes for the protection of parental rights, and for the protection of our children.